[andy58-in-nh]

Quality is most certainly down. People in the industry tell me it is because Cuba is more of an economic basket case than ever, and in dire need of hard currency. Their largest customer is Spain, and their economy is in pretty bad shape right now, as well (though not as bad as Castro's Paradise).

Consequently, a lot of factories have shortened up the aging and curing process to move product out more quickly. That has caused the tobacco to have a harsher quality. Also, Cuba has lost many of its best tobacco experts over the years, and many of the great production experts and their experienced rollers have died off.

There are still some good brands out there, but stick to the "old line" names like Partagas, Romeo y Julieta, Punch, Hoyo de Monterrey, and H. Upmann. Forget about Cohibas - overpriced and most of them are fakes. Also, pay attention to the size of cigar you order. The smaller ones (robustos, Lonsdales, delicatos) are frequently better than the Churchills and "gordo" sizes.

The truth is that there are terrific cigars being produced now in the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras, and I mean "World Class". Check them out.

[devane617]

andy, Thanks for the detailed reply. I smoke OTC (other than Cubans) from all areas and have found them to be as good as Cubans in many cases. And, the quality keeps getting better.

[stevio]

Do you have any specific suggestions? As rarely as I smoke them, it would be good to have an actually name and style from someone who knows. I like the darker one and enjoy them with whiskey, something in the $5-20 range.